Lemon Bars

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Universal

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 45

Additional Time: 1

Total Time: 2 15

Servings: servings

Calories: 69kcal

Author: Lauren

I love Lemon Bars. They're such a great, classic summer dessert. Perfectly tart topped with sweet powdered sugar on top. These bars are not only light tasting but they're less than 70 calories per bar. They are super low fat and have 0g of sugar.

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Ingredients

Crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour (120g)
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar (36g) I used Swerve
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup light butter (112g) melted

Lemon Filling:

1 Tbsp lemon zest
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (120g) 2-3 lemons
3 large eggs
1 cup granular sweetener (192g) I used Swerve
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (60g) sifted

Topping:

Confectioner's sugar for dusting

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 8x8-inch baking dish with parchment paper and/or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

For the Crust:

Using a handheld or stand mixer (fitted with paddle attachment), beat together the flour, confectioner's sugar, salt and butter until the shortbread dough forms. Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Then place in the freezer or refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes to chill. After it's been chilled, bake for 12-15 minutes or until it's light golden brown.

For the Lemon Filling:

While the crust is in the oven, prepare the lemon filling. Using a handheld or stand mixer (fitted with whisk attachment), mix together the lemon zest, lemon juice, eggs, sweetener, and flour on medium speed until well blended.
Once the crust is done baking, immediately and slowly pour filling over the crust. Do not allow the crust to cool first, this is critical.
Place bars immediately in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is almost set and the center jiggles just a little.
Remove from the oven and allow lemon bars to cool completely. Then cover and place into the refrigerator to chill and set for a minimum of 1 hour (more time may be needed). When ready to serve, dust with powdered sugar and cut using a sharp knife!

Notes

These bars are best the next day, chilled, after the texture has set and the flavors have come together overnight. Keep stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

To make gluten-free: use Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour

This recipe can be a bit more finicky than my others. In order to prevent issues, follow the steps above as they are written for best results!

Helpful Tips!

To prevent lemon filling having white specks in it: You'll really want to whisk/mix the lemon filling until no egg white is showing. Otherwise, you might see some white parts in the bars after they're done baking.
To prevent the crust from combining with the lemon filling or floating to the top: First, check your baked crust. When you pull the crust out of the oven make sure there aren't any cracks in it, otherwise the filling may seep into the crust. Then, be sure to add the filling right away to your warm crust. This is crucial for ensuring that the crust and filling do not mix together while baking. Pour the filling over the crust right when it comes out of the oven and do not let the crust cool first.
To prevent the top of the lemon bars cracking: Make sure you don't over-bake. You should only bake the bars just until the top is almost set, otherwise, simply over-baking can cause cracking. Also, make sure you do not refrigerate too soon. Let the lemon bars cool at room temperature before letting them set in the refrigerator. Otherwise, the drastic change in temperature will cause them to crack.

Nutrition